2008 State of the Union Address

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George W. Bush during the 2008 State of the Union speech, with Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The 2008 State of the Union Address was a speech given by United States President George W. Bush on Monday, January 28, 2008, to a joint session of Congress. It will have been the last State of the Union Address of Bush's presidency. The speech was delivered on the floor of the United States House of Representatives in the United States Capitol. Sitting behind the president were the presiding officers of the United States Senate, Vice President Dick Cheney, and the United States House of Representatives, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The State of the Union Address was televised nationwide starting at 9 pm Eastern Standard Time.

1 Topics
2 Democratic response
3 Libertarian response
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Topics

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George W. Bush's Eighth State of the Union Address

The White House indicated beforehand that the President's speech would mention the following policies^[1]:

“

White House Office of Communications

Economy: Keeping the economy healthy
Budget: Staying on track to a balanced budget by 2012
Housing: Modernize Federal Housing Administration to avoid foreclosures
National Security: Giving our national security professionals tools they need to protect America
Iraq War: Continued progress in Iraq allows "Return on Success"
Global War on Terror: Keeping America safe by fostering the freedom agenda
Veterans: Supporting the nation's troops and their families
No Child Left Behind: Plan to undergo a $300 million dollar expansion opportunity
Education: Empowering parents with more choices for their children's education
Free Trade: Opening new markets and expanding opportunities through free trade
Energy: Increasing the energy security and confronting climate change
Healthcare: Empowering Americans with affordable options for health care
Stem cell research: Increasing federal support for ethical stem cell research
Faith-based initiatives: Helping those in need through the faith-based and community initiatives
Immigration: Improving border security and immigration
Compassion: Advancing an agenda of compassion worldwide
Disease: Protecting others from diseases such as AIDS
Science: Requesting that Congress double federal spending on basic physical research

”

[edit] Democratic response

In keeping with tradition of Democrats from red states giving the response, Governor of Kansas Kathleen Sebelius delivered the Democratic response from the Governor's Mansion in Topeka^[2]. It has been noted that she focused not on the usual Democratic rebuttal, but more so on the need to get past partisan politics to get the important legislation passed in a timely manner. She was picked by Democratic congressional leaders to make the response because of her ability to reach across partisan lines and get things done. ^[3] Texas state Senator Leticia Van de Putte gave the Democratic response in Spanish^[4].

[edit] Libertarian response

Libertarian Party Chair William Redpath issued a written response to the State of the Union on behalf of the national Libertarian Party.^[5]

Steve Kubby, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential nomination, delivered his own "State of the Union address" via Internet video on January 25, 2008, three days before President Bush's speech.^[6] Framed as a preemption rather than merely a response,^[7] Kubby's speech attempted to predict the themes President Bush would strike and offered Kubby's own proposals in their stead.